Umm, Yeah, Sorry?
by RedReader1
Summary: All Regina wants Emma to do is pay attention.
1. Up in Smoke

They had been walking through the jungle for what seemed like hours, at least to Emma. It was hot, steamy, and raining. "So much for the rain being refreshing," thought Emma as she picked her way through the dense foliage. Regina had conjured a barrier around herself and was for the most part dry. Emma's magic had fizzled and died with her sinking mood. The former queen who was quietly stewing offered her no protection from the elements. Emma knew this was her fault. Regina had told her more than once; magic was not a toy to be played with frivolously. Beyond emotion, exactitude and attention were of the utmost importance.

"Can we stop now," Emma asked pathetically.

"No, Miss. Swan, we cannot stop," huffed Regina. "Two things need to happen right now. One, you need to figure out what you did, and two, we need to figure out where we are. Has either of those things happened?"

"No," Emma sulked.

Emma wanted to tell her that she was hungry, but her stomach made that point clear as it audibly growled. Regina had already slapped delicious looking fruit out of her hand informing her it was poisonous. She also informed Emma she would have known it was poison if she had read _Botanical Magicks; _a book she was given to study three months ago. Regina paused to speak to Emma, once again, but whatever barb she had in store quickly died away as she looked at her companion. Emma looked like a half drowned kitten, her sweat slicked hair hanging limply around her head. Her once white tank now had streaks of dirt and a tear at her hip where a scratch sluggishly wept blood. Emma cringed ready to accept whatever reproach Regina was about to give.

Regina let out an exasperated sigh, "Let's go; I think I hear water." She grasped Emma's hand and began to gently pull her along.

* * *

_2 Hours Earlier…_

She had done it! Emma had teleported herself to Regina's home. Well, more or less to Regina's, five houses away still counted. She couldn't wait to tell Regina, she had made it across Storybrooke with no mishaps. Emma could imagine wiping that know-it-all look of the former queen's face. She had been meeting Regina three times a week for magic lessons, for the past six months. Their routine was like clockwork at this point. Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday they met for lessons, followed by dinner with Henry.

Teleporting was the first thing she wanted to learn and Emma had asked Regina to teach it to her the first day. Regina told her she would learn to teleport in time. For the past six months Emma harrumphed through protection spells, grumbled over levitation spells, nearly blew up half of Storybrooke learning minor potions. Regina hadn't been particularly pleased with her that day. She told Emma baby Neal could've done a better job, and she wouldn't have needed to rebuild the back half of her home. After that incident, Regina then moved their lessons to a magical red schoolhouse in the woods, far enough to keep the residents of Storybrooke safe. Emma complained about the little red schoolhouse in the woods. She asked Regina to make it look more badass. She told Regina it looked like she was going to kindergarten, to which Regina said, "Good that's the look I was going for."

Two weeks ago Regina informed her they would begin the basics of teleporting Emma practically vibrated with happiness. She had to calm herself after flowers began spontaneously blooming everywhere. However, she was then further disappointed when she discovered Teleporting 101, did not mean she would be teleporting. The basics of teleporting first involved conjuring items in the same room, then items not in same room and then progressed to conjuring items located across town. Finally, when they had moved to physically teleporting, to Emma's dismay, it was only for short distances. Each time Emma tried to push further and faster Regina reined her in. She had told Emma once she became more attentive to what she was doing, she would be able to go further. As it stood, Regina didn't want to be responsible for the Savior materializing in a brick wall.

Emma sauntered up to 108 Mifflin, and entered without knocking. Regina exited her study, purse in hand.

"Hey, Regina, guess who teleported here from the Sheriff's Office," Emma crowed.

"I don't know, baby Neal?" Regina quipped.

"Ha, ha, no. I did. I did it! You were wrong. I teleported from across town, to your house. And I didn't end up in a wall like you said I would. So how do you like them apples," Emma smugly stated.

"That is quite impressive Emma. So you appeared precisely at my front door?"

"Well, not precisely," Emma stated.

"Oh, just inside the gate then," Regina asked.

"Not exactly," Emma hedged

"On the sidewalk?"

"Maybe a little further."

"Across the street?"

Emma shrugged and shook her head.

"Miss. Swan, could you even see my home when you materialized?"

"Of course I could," Emma indignantly huffed. "I could probably see your house from space."

"Just how far away did you appear?"

"Five houses down," Emma grumbled."

Regina shook her head, and tiredly looked at Emma.

"Then you did not teleport **here**, Miss Swan. I have already told you not to venture beyond a mile. Have I not? Yet you refuse to pay any heed to my instruction. It seems I should tell you the opposite of what I would like you do for you to do what you should."

"But I can do it! I just…"

"Enough!" Regina barked. "I can not teach you if you will not listen. What has to happen for you to understand the gravity of what I am trying to teach you? I have had enough for today. Good day, Miss. Swan. Please show yourself out."

"But wait," Emma exclaimed. As she grasped Regina's arm they both vanished in a puff of white smoke.


	2. In the Dark

Regina pulled a dejected Emma through the brush. She could hear the sound of moving water, but as they moved through the jungle it didn't sound as if they were getting any closer. Her frustration was mounting and imagining laying waste to this infuriating tract of land was keeping her anger at bay. The rain had finally stopped and as the day progressed the temperature began to fall steadily. Although Regina had ensconced Emma into the protective barrier she had created, the blond was still wet from hours of walking in the rain with no protection. It was then she noticed that the hand she held did not hold the usual warmth; it was balmy and cool. Emma stood there shivering; her clothes dampened against her body, her skin impossibly pale had the beginnings of a slight tinge of blue. Regina frustration was quickly replaced with gut wrenching fear and concern with the current state of the blonde.

"Miss. Swan, were you going to tell me you were freezing or were you going to wait until I had to drag your corpse around?" Regina asked testily.

Emma shied away from the former queen.

"I thought you wanted me to be quiet until I could figure out how we got here," Emma mumbled.

"Well, there is quiet, and then there is dead, both of which achieve the same purpose; I suppose, but I'm sure you should be aiming for the former, not the latter," Regina groused.

"Why on earth would you think I would want you to suffer silently through hypothermia?"

"Well, you are kinda mad at me," said Emma.

Regina huffed and pulled the blonde closer and began to magically dry her off. Regina hadn't noticed before, but as she dried the shivering woman she realized her magic felt different. Not in a bad way, but as if her energy came from somewhere deeper than when she used dark magic. She felt as if she had tapped into a reserve she never knew existed. She had noticed a slight difference in Storybrooke as she began to use the light magic she possessed more readily. However, in the realm they had been transported, she felt her power enhanced exponentially.

Once Emma was dryer, she removed her blazer and placed it on the blonde. She took Emma's now much warmer hand and tugged her forward.

"Let's go, we're almost there," she said quietly. Although she did not believe what she had just told Emma, she knew it would make her feel better. After walking less than a yard through the brush, they came to a rocky clearing.

"Wow, I thought you were lying to me to make me feel better," Emma stated tiredly.

"I was lying to make you feel better. I'm as surprised as you are, dear," she replied.

She scanned the area in the waning light. They were in an enclosed area no larger than the town hall's meeting room. The ground was sparsely covered with grass; a shear rock wall surrounded them, while the darkening forest loomed behind them. Emma led them further into the clearing. She settled the blonde on an outcropping of smooth rocks and looked around again.

"I hear water, but I don't see water. Stay here a moment, Miss. Swan."

"But, who's gonna protect you?" Emma asked petulantly.

She seemed to have gotten some of her fire back, since Regina had dried her off. If they were in decidedly different situation she would has thought the Savior looked adorable in childlike indignation. She looked just like a young Henry; scowling each time she told him it was naptime. She felt her heart warm at the thought of Emma Swan mirroring the love of her life.

"I promised to scream for you to save me. Unless I'm about die, I won't move until you arrive." Regina deadpanned. She raised three of her fingers, "Scouts honor."

Emma chuckled, "You're like no scout I've ever seen."

"Well, then consider me an upgrade," Regina said, as her sauntered toward the rock face.

Regina walked along the rock wall, moving closer to the sound of running water. As the light became dimmer she began to examine the outcropping by sliding her hands against the jagged rock. She winced as the sharper edges bit into her skin. She knew the had to keep going despite her ill advised decision of running her hands along jagged rocks in the dark.

"Do you need saving yet?" Emma's voice boomed through the clearing.

"Maybe in a few minutes," she replied.

"Okay."

Regina might have missed the crevice if her right hand hadn't slipped through the break in wall. Inside the recess there was slight cascade of water that trickled into a small pool. After taking a tentative sip, she determined that the water was fresh. She was about to remove her hand that was wedged inside the nook, when she realized she might not be able to find it again in the ever growing darkness. So she yelled in the highest, girlishly shrill voice she could muster.

"Oh, Emma help, please; I'm stuck!"

Emma came barreling through the clearing, "Don't worry, I'll get you out." She skidded to a stop. "You don't look stuck," the blonde said.

"I'm not, but couldn't risk losing the first sign of water we've seen all day. Come here," Regina command as she tugged Emma by her borrowed blazer.

"Now drink."

Emma drank greedily from the pool, scooping handfuls of water into mouth. When she had all she could take, she finished with lusty groan of satisfaction and slowly slid to sit atop a rock formation sated. Regina, who was just as thirsty as the blonde, carefully cleaned her hands before daintily sipping from the pool.

Emma chuckled, "You're only person I know that could make dying of thirst look elegant."

Regina simply shrugged and continued to quench her thirst. After she finished, she asked Emma to remove the borrowed blazer. She walked over and began to lift the bottom of the blonde's tank top.

"Whoa, hey there, girl likes to at least get dinner first, before she reaches this step," Emma shied away.

Regina huffed and rolled her eyes in impatience, "If you please, Miss. Swan, I'm trying to see to your wound."

"Why? It's just a scratch."

"Knowing you, you could probably have half your arm hanging off and call it "just a scratch," and then complain later when your gangrenous appendage fell off whilst looking at me with big doe eyes, proclaiming how you didn't know that would happen," Regina harrumphed. "It seems with you there is always some price I have to pay. I'm beginning to believe that your existence is my penance for every transgression I've committed. From the day we've met, you Miss. Swan, have been the proverbial bull in the china shop that is my life."

"Wow Regina, harsh much," Emma scoffed, but easily complied by holding up the edge of her shirt to reveal the gash her side. The brunette ripped the sleeve from her white blouse, dipped it in the water and began to clean the wound. Emma smarted from the sting, and let out a hiss.

"This is a lot deeper than a scratch."

"You know, I hadn't really noticed this cut until you started cleaning it. Now it hurts," Emma babbled. "And how is it that I look like I've been trekking through the jungle for 3 hours, all sweaty and dirty, and you look like you've been strolling through the park?" Her brows furrowed further, "How is your blouse still so white?"

"The same reason I make dying of thirst look so elegant, Miss Swan. "

Emma reached out in an attempt to touch the item in question, only to have Regina slap her hand away.

"No, touching."

"But you're touching me," Emma pouted.

"To keep you from dying," Regina huffed.

Emma shrugged. "Semantics."

Regina continued to care for her wound until she felt it was sufficiently clean. After which she began to heal the blonde's side with magic.

"Hey Regina, it's getting light out again. That was like the shortest night ever. It was barely twenty minutes."

"Yes, that is odd," Regina mused, not like liking the situation her brain was forming.

"I'm going to take a look around maybe I can find something to work out just where we are. Then maybe I can figure out how I can get us back," Emma stated eagerly.

"Be careful, I've already patched you up once," she warned.

"That almost sounds like concern," Emma joked.

The look of hurt only lasted a microsecond before Regina's well practiced mask of indifference slid into place.

"Regina I…"

"Go explore, Miss. Swan. It is a far better use of your feet than constantly putting them in your mouth."

Regina turned and began walking in the opposite direction. Emma knew; she had been dismissed by the Queen. With the coming light and Regina's care the blonde's vigor had retuned as well. Her eyes swept the area, determined to find something, determined to do everything to get them home. She had to show Regina she could get them back to their son. She alit from the rocks and began exploring the area at the perimeter of the clearing. Her frustration grew the more she searched. They were seemingly in the middle of nowhere with absolutely no clues, no landmarks, or signs of life. It was like they were in an amorphous glob pretending to be a jungle. Inches away from wail of frustration, Emma saw it, words carved into the rock wall. Their first clue!

"Regina, come quick, I found something!"

The brunette quickly made her way across the clearing to see Emma crouch in front of a carving. Emma's face screwed up in a look of concentration.

"What's Lu..lutheea min eereb hon," Emma said slowly, attempting to sound out the letters.

Regina crouched beside Emma, "It's Elvish, and it's _Luithia min __ereb__ h__ûn._"

Emma repeated the phrase mimicking Regina, "What does that mean?"

"It means…"

Before she could finish, they both vanished in a puff of white smoke.


	3. What the Hell

The women sat in silence working. The eldest spinning thread, a maiden inspecting and weaving a never-ending tapestry, whilst the youngest cut and removed loose threads from their masterpiece. The old woman sat up with a jolt, "It has been done sisters." The maiden and the child turned their eyes to the tapestry searching for any infinitesimal change. There in the center of the cloth two parallel threads connected and intertwined. The change, although minor, pulsed and rippled through the tapestry alighting the chamber in a magical glow. "We were right. They are the catalyst," said the maiden.

"Yes, we have achieved the first step, but there is still much to do."

* * *

Emma and Regina appeared in the foyer of the mansion in the exact spot they left hours before. The only difference being, they were now crouched intently studying the den. The minor injuries sustained on their misadventure were gone, and their clothing showed no signs of damage.

What are you two staring at?"

Both women immediately straightened as if ice water had been thrown down their backs. They whirled on the unknown threat, hands linking automatically, within their opposite hands magic flared: for Regina a fireball and for Emma a protective shield around them. Snow stood rooted in her spot clutching Baby Neal to her bosom. Her eyes rounded, surprised by not only the rapidity, but also the fluidity of movement by both women.

"What the hell Snow, what are you doing sneaking up on us like that. Regina could have torched you both. And then snap," she snapped her fingers for emphasis, "two shrimp on the barbie!"

"Yes, Mary Margret, how did you get into my home?"

Mary Margret hiked the baby higher against her hip, "Well I didn't break in, if that's what you're thinking," she said indignantly. She rushed over and captured Emma in a tight one-armed embrace. "I brought Henry here. He wanted to pick up a few things."

Emma ran her hands through her hair and expelled a groan of frustration."Oh my god, Henry! Regina, he must've been worried when one us didn't him pick up from school today. I wonder how much guilt ice cream we'll have to give him." Regina snorted with a nod of agreement. "He'll get over it one day isn't going scar him for life. Mary Margaret, thanks for bringing him home."

Mary Margaret stared at both women, "One day?" She shook her head and Baby Neal mimicked the head movement of his mother. "Oh Emma, you and Regina have missing for three days. We've been worried sick. Your father has barely slept a wink. He's been out trying to find you and everyone else."

"Say what now?" Emma asked incredulously. She looked at her watch, and checked her cell phone, both devices confirmed it was 5:18, Wednesday evening. She shows her mother both items. Regina also has the same results after checking her phone as well. "See, we've only been gone three hours," stated Emma as if what was happening made perfect sense to everyone but Mary Margaret. Regina finally spoke, "What do you mean by everyone else?"

"I don't care what that says, you've both been missing since Wednesday. The fact that neither of you picked Henry up from school was odd; I figured both of you may have gotten sidetracked and forgot to call. When we tried calling both your phones they went straight to voicemail. The later it got the more worried we became. Then Grumpy called into the station around six, he told David there was a break in at the mansion."

"That's ridiculous, a break in, why on earth would he do that? Surely no one would be stupid enough to beak into my home. Well, except for that Robin Hood fellow. Tell me, did my home smell of forest when you arrived," Regina sniped.

"You're right Regina, it wasn't a break in, but your front door was open. It didn't seem as if anything was disturbed or missing. I mean, except you and Emma, but it was our second indication something was definitely wrong. However, we had no idea what it could mean. After we checked the mansion for the both of you and found nothing significant, David and I decided to go and see Gold in the morning. That's when this took another weird turn."

"How so, Miss Blanchard?"

"The next morning before we could go to see Gold, Belle came to the loft. She needed our help. Apparently, Gold went missing during the night."

"So Gold is gone," questioned Emma.

"But it doesn't stop there."

"Of course it wouldn't," Regina sighed.

Mary Margaret continued, "Blue requested we come to convent immediately. She told us three of her fairies were missing. After that, we had no clue what was going on. Belle has been out of her mind with worry. She insists Gold would never leave so abruptly without word. She stays in the library all day, and at night she scours through Rumplestiltskin's books."

Regina pinched the bridge of her nose. She was annoyed. She was starting realize that their brief sojourn into wilds was not Emma's doing. A fact their clothes and the apparent time fluctuation indicated. And now there were more people missing: people with magic. She knows the two incidents are connected. They were too similar for them not to be, but unfortunately she didn't know what the connection was.

Emma started pacing back and forth in the entryway. She sighed in frustration, "So essentially you're saying the citizens of Storybrooke are being picked off one by one, like...like _Invasion of the Body Snatchers_, or something." It's moments like these when she wants just grab Henry, run and never look back. Life here was never simple. It was never peaceful. They moved from one catastrophe to the next. The more Emma paced the more agitated Regina felt. Regina felt the blonde's need to run.

"Emma stop, you're upsetting Baby Neal," Regina placed her hand on the blondes back in an attempt to calm her. Surprisingly, Emma's anxiety deflated at the brunette's touch. She looked over to her equally anxious little brother who had jammed his thumb into his mouth as a form of self-comfort. Although he was only 18 months, Baby Neal was already showing signs of possessing magic. Regina informed Mary Margaret his empathic abilities were impressive for one so young, and would probably continue to develop as he grew older. Her brother looked at her with big watery green eyes and outstretched his arms for her to take him, "Mmma up." He gestured again waving his arm. She took him from his mother's arms and hugged him tightly to her while kissing him on the cheek. He giggled and immediately outstretched his arms for his intended goal,"Gigi up."

"Really little man, is that how it is," Emma said,"You were just using me to get the girl." Emma handed Baby Neal over to Regina, who he hugged enthusiastically around the neck. "Love you Gigi," he said as he snuggled further into neck." She hugged the small body closer to her and placed a kiss atop his dark curls. She knew he was using magic to ease the tension in room. She also knew it was innocent and instinctual on his part, but they would soon be approaching a time when he realized he could affect others. That may be too much power for one so young. She hadn't discussed it yet with Mary Margaret, but they were moving closer to having the conversation of binding Baby Neal's magic.

"Mom, Emma, you're here!" A top the staircase, on the landing Henry peered over the railing into the foyer. He beamed and took off running down the stairs two at time, skipping the final four and jumping into the area. He barreled into his mothers, who both enveloped him in one armed hugs. "You're here," he repeated over and over again, until his relieved commentary became an anguished sob. "You're here," his voice cracked, and he hiccuped through his tears. His hands fisted their clothing, as if they would disappear if he let them go . "I was so worried. I thought someone took you guys, like Greg and Tamara took Mom. I thought I would never see you again," he wailed.

It had been years since she had seen Henry so distressed. Regina pulled her son to her, his head burrowed into her neck as he openly wept. She began running her fingers through the hair at the base of his neck then sweeping downward to run soothing circles along his back. On the opposite side she held Baby Neal, his head tucked along her neck as well. He had his thumb in is mouth and reached out to magically soothe his uncle. Emma stood unconsciously rubbing comforting circles on Regina's back, while the brunette cooed Henry. "Hey, kid you know we'd never leave you, right?" Henry nodded against Regina neck. "Nothing can keep us apart kid, we'll always..."

"Don't finish that sentence, Miss Swan," Regina huffed. That had earned her a genuine laugh their son.

It was was an awkwardly surreal moment for Mary Margaret, as she watched her children and her grandson encircled around her former enemy. To a stranger, they would look like a simple family unit. She laughed at the complexities of the actual situation. She hugged her herself, feeling unconnected to the unit forming in front of her. Sadness and envy warred within her; shouldn't she, the one who suffered most, be the one her family sought comfort from? Instead they found it in the woman who had torn them apart. Although the thought was fleeting, Mary Margaret was ashamed.

* * *

Henry was so reluctant to leave their side last night, Regina decided they would have a mini slumber party. They ordered pizza and ate cookies and ice cream. Upstairs they gathered in Regina's bed, told stories, had tickle wars, pillow fights and ended with the three falling asleep in Regina's bed with Henry snuggled between them.

Regina moaned. She was in that pleasantly fuzzy place between sleep and being fully awake. She felt warm and comforted. She snuggled further into her cocoon, which reflexively tightened. As she rose into wakefulness she realized her cocoon were the arms of the Sheriff. One arm pulled her close with Emma's hand splayed protectively on her stomach, while the blondes other hand massaged Regina's breast. Emma's hand which cupped her firmly kept rhythm with the brunette's hips which were sensuously grinding into the torso behind her. As the reality of the situation crashed down she squeaked and shoved the slumbering woman away from her. Emma startled awake from the none too gentle push, continued rolling off the bed and onto the floor. This was not how they fell asleep last night.

"Wha...what the hell," Emma sat up, rubbing her head. "Did you just shove me off the bed?"

"I'm sorry; I must have been having a bad dream," she lied.

Emma looked up on the bed, "Hey, where's the kid," she asked groggily. As soon she asked her phone rang. Emma stood and went to the en suite bathroom. "Aren't you going to answer your phone, Miss. Swan." The blonde shrugged, "Right now I have more pressing matters than a missing Dark One and fairies, and oddly enough a cup of coffee is taking precedence over that too, maybe breakfast, a shower," she said, as she sniffed herself and then closed the door behind her. Emma's phone rang again, then a third time. The fourth time Regina answered the blondes phone.

"Sheriff Swan's phone."

"Regina, where's Emma! She needs to get over here now! He's gone! Neal, he's gone!" Mary Margaret sobbed frantically through the phone.

Regina hopped from the bed, "Don't worry we'll be there soon." She threw Emma's phone to the bed and ran out the door calling for Henry. He wasn't in his room. She called his name again at the top of he stairs hoping he might be downstairs. She went down and checked each room, becoming tenser by the second, Henry wasn't here. She bolted up the steps and opened the bathroom door.

"What the hell," Emma said, her mouth projecting frothy toothpaste spittle.

"We've got to go!" Regina burst through the doorway, changed her clothes magically, and grabbed Emma's arm. They both disappeared in a cloud of lavender smoke.


End file.
